Appearing in a Martin Scorsese film wasn’t on Victoria actress Debs Howard’s bingo card this year. Neither was acting alongside Hollywood A-listers Jennifer Lawrence, Robert Pattinson and Sissy Spacek, or promoting the film at the iconic Cannes Film Festival.

But that’s been her reality for more than a year now. Howard landed a role in Die My Love, the much-buzzed-about film directed by Lynne Ramsay and produced by Scorsese.

The film—billed as a black-comedy psychological drama—follows a mother (Lawrence) living in a remote town as she struggles to maintain her sanity. The film has been described as complex and, at times, unsettling, with standout performances from the cast. It’s “certified fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes—a much sought-after designation for those who make movies.

In the trailer, Howard appears within the first 20 seconds—her character attempts small talk with Lawrence’s, who brings an intense energy to the conversation. 

But in real life, Howard says Lawrence and Pattinson are both “super humble.” 

“It was so nice to meet them because I was pretty intimidated going into it and, you know, had to calm myself down a lot before I stepped on set. But they both made me feel so comfortable right away,” Howard told Capital Daily. “Like, just have no ego.” 

She says working alongside them and Ramsay was an “honour.” 

“They're all people who just really, really love what they do, who want to make something unique and creative together,” Howard said.

While, in many ways, the set had all the familiar aspects of others she’s worked on—“we can’t make any type of movie without the gaffers and the grips”—it felt like a much “higher calibre.”

“It was like, OK Debs, you better be on your A game, right?” she joked. 

The film’s notoriety brought her to the Cannes Film Festival—one of the most glamorous occasions on the calendars of prestigious filmmakers. Howard wore a sleek black gown, created by Vancouver designer Ouma, bringing a little piece of home with her to France. 

A dream come true

For Howard, the opportunity almost seemed too good to be true. When she got the call that she landed the role, she screamed with joy.

“I was just over the moon,” she said. 

But she’s been in the industry long enough to know that things don’t always work out as planned. She’s had previous roles offered—some of which she filmed—only to find out the scenes were cut from the final product. This was what happened when she was in a previous big Hollywood production, Sonic the Hedgehog, which came out in 2020. She filmed her part, but the scenes were left on the cutting room floor. 

“So I have learned to be very, very cautiously optimistic,” Howard said. “I've learned that, as exciting as something can seem, it also might not be what you think in the end.”

But thankfully, this was. She describes it as both a “gift” and a “dream” to be a part of such an esteemed project—and she certainly doesn’t take the opportunity for granted.

“I thought that I was going to be doing these, like, Hallmark movies for the foreseeable future,” she said. “​​My joke is that, every time after I wrap a job, I just go, well, I might never work again, but I hope I do, and I believe I will—but you just never know when the next thing is going to come.”

From Cranbrook to Victoria to Cannes

Representing her film on a global stage like the Cannes Film Festival seems far removed from her quiet upbringing in Cranbrook. While she took part in community theatre and school plays in the small Kootenay town, her dream of being a professional actor seemed like an unrealistic goal.

“To be honest with you, I didn't think it was a real job,” Howard said. “My family is mostly academics, so I was thinking I had to go to university and, I don't know, become something professional, get a ‘real’ job.” 

But when she moved to Victoria after high school, she found the Victoria Motion Picture School, where she enrolled in acting courses. There, she met her mentor, John Emmet Tracy, an actor now based in Vancouver. The school is no longer operating, but Howard continued to receive Tracy’s support and encouragement over the years.

Howard moved to Vancouver and got an agent, deciding to give this acting thing “a shot.”

Since then, she got married and had a baby, prompting her to return to the Island, as she and her husband wanted to raise their daughter in a smaller town. They now live in Cobble Hill, providing the perfect quiet community just 45 minutes from Victoria.

It was at her home in Cobble Hill where she filmed her audition tape for Die My Love.

‍Pursuing an acting career from a small Canadian city

Many burgeoning actors living in Canada may think they need to be in a big city to catch their big break. But Howard’s advice to young actors living in smaller Canadian towns is to figure out “what about acting really sparks you.”

“You really have to believe in yourself, because it’s one of the most unstable career choices you can make,” she said.

It’s a job that comes with a lot of rejection, she says, but if you have a good group of people around you—people who believe in you—it’s far easier to remain “steady and stable while you're doing this kind of pipe dream.

“As long as you stick with it long enough, I think, generally speaking, it works out for most people that you'll be able to have [acting] be your main focus if you really want it—if you know your why,” she said.

‍Other projects to look out for

In addition to Die My Love, Howard has had a full plate with projects this year. She’ll make an appearance alongside Jason Priestley in the upcoming Private Eye: West Coast, which was filmed in Victoria over the summer. 

She starred alongside fellow Canadian Aaron Ashmore and Candace Cameron Bure of Full House fame in Ainsley McGregor Mysteries: A Case for the Yarn Maker, the second film in the cozy crime series, released in October. This role landed her a UBCP-ACTRA Award nomination for best supporting performance.

She also appeared in a recent episode of the Hunting Party, a new crime procedural on NBC.

She’s in talks for a few other upcoming projects but has to keep tight-lipped until she knows everything is confirmed.

In the meantime, you can catch Howard in Die My Love, now playing at the Cineplex Odeon on Yates.